Eat Bread And Reduce Stomach Fat

Hi there. I hope you are doing great this week. I am still recovering from a friend's bachelor party this past weekend. It feels good to be back on my workout routine and regular eating habits. One fact I am definitely sure of, is that bachelor parties are not good for reducing stomach fat. I am hoping I didn't do too much damage this weekend. But can breads actually help us reduce stomach fat?


If you have ever tried to lose weight or know someone who has, the title of this post may seem completely wrong. We have been told that you need to stay away from carbs or grains if you want to lose weight. While there may be some truth to that a new study actually found the opposite.

The key is what kind of carbs you are eating.

In the latest issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition there was a study released that looked at eating whole grains vs. refined grains and how fat was stored in the abdomen. This study involved 2,834 participants (men & women) of ages 32-84.

The study found that there was in fact a correlation with eating grains and abdominal fat. What they observed was that by increasing whole-grains into a diet there was lower visceral fat in the abdomen and those that ate more refined-grains saw an increase in visceral abdominal fat.

Visceral Abdominal fat, is the fat tissue that is found in the abdominal cavity surrounding organs. This is the fat that is seen as a high risk for heart disease. Basically it is very bad to have a lot of this type of fat.




It is important to understand the difference between refined and whole grains. A whole grain consists of 3 parts. The Bran, which is the protective outer hard shell, the endosperm, which provides energy for the seed, and the inner germ which provides the growing seed nutrients. The Bran contains fiber, vitamins, and trace minerals and the germ contains oils, antioxidants, and additional vitamins. The endosperm consist mainly of carbs (sugar). During the refining process the bran and the germ are stripped away leaving only the endosperm so all you are left with is the carbohydrates without the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

When you eat refined grains you are essentially eating simple sugars. Some simple sugars are not the worse thing to be eating, but in our society, these refined grains make up the majority of our diets. When possible stick with whole grains which are rich in fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, and selenium.

Examples of Whole Grains:

Whole Wheat (Ezekiel Bread)
Barley
Brown Rice
Bulgur
Oat Grouts
Quinoa
Rye
Amaranth
Buckwheat
Millet
Spelt

Examples of Refined Grains:

White Flour
Degermed Cornmeal
White Bread
White Rice
Corn Tortillas
Crackers
Pasta
Pretzels
Chips
Cereal (Although you will find some that contain whole grains)

Remember to check the labels. Some of the examples listed above can be found as whole grain products but not all. If you see the words whole grain you are probably ok although some products will mix whole and refined grains.

So it is possible to eat bread and have a smaller stomach, as long as you are sticking with whole grains, which most people will not do.

You Stay Healthy San Diego.

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator